Shredding machine with reciprocating cutter plate and adjustable feed channel having resilient holding means



Aug. 30, 1949. H. HYSMITH 1 2,480,736

SHREDDING MACHINE WITH RECIPROCATING CUTTER PLATE AND ADJUSTABLE FEED CHANNEL HAVING RESILIENT HOLDING MEANS Filed 001;. 28, 1946 Patented Aug. 30, 1949 UNITED STATE SHREDDING MACHINE WITH RECIPROCAT- ING CUTTER PLATE AND ADJUSTABLE FEED CHANNEL HAVING RESILIENT HOLD- ING MEANS Herbert Hysmith, Riverside, Calif. Application October 28, 1946, Serial No. 706,228

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a shredding machine.

More specifically speaking, the invention pertains to that type of shredding machine wherein a single, reciprocatory shredding plate is provided with a multiplicity of shredding openings, each of which has a knife edge portion which acts upon the objects which are shredded in such a manner as to remove from them a shred every time said shredding plate is reciprocated.

Although the art to which this invention pertains is in a well developed state, yet there remains room for improvement in regard to simplicity of construction and more particularly in regard to the provision of better means for guiding the objects being shredded to the shredding member.

Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide an improved arrangement of guide members to cause the objects being shredded to move in a more dependable manner along a straight path toward the shredding plate, at least one of said guide members being mounted in an improved manner rendering it adjustable in a greater variety of positions so that it can be adjusted to guide to the shredding member objects varying greatly in size and shape.

A more specific object of the invention isto provide an improved wire spring for assisting and guiding the article being shredded to the shredding member, said spring having a terminal spur portion which is impaled into the upper portion of such object when it is put into place upon the guiding means, said spur being carried by a swingable arm of the spring and the spring being furnished with one or more loop portions between the arm and the attached portion of the spring, so that the spur part of the arm is permitted to move along a straight path notwithstanding the swinging movement of the radially extending arm which carries said spur part.

Another specific object is to provide a reciprocatory shredding plate having through it openings with knife edges which are directed toward the same face of the plate and toward opposite ends thereof, so as to equalize the operating force.

Among other objects are to provide means for more effectively guarding against the operators hand being cut by the shredding or slicing elements; to provide for a spring pressed follower improved stop means to arrest the movement of said follower toward the cutting means before said means can be damaged by engagement with said follower; and to obtain the foregoing objects and advantages in a machine which can be manufactured at a low cost and sold to the consumer at an inviting price. 7 Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

. Referring to the accompanying drawing, which 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device, the front side thereof being directed toward the observer.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmental perspective detail looking at the back side of the device and showing a potato positioned thereon for being shredded. In this view fragments of the shredding plate are broken out adjacent to one of the shredding openings to show more clearly the knife edge at one side of said opening.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the working parts of the machine are supported upon a substantial, fiat mounting plate I which is shown as being rectangular except for having at its upper end an arcuate handle portion 8, there being a segmental opening 9 under said handle to facilitate manual grasping thereof. Through said plate is a spacious rectangular opening l0 for delivery of the shredded oif portions of the potato II, or other object operated on by the machine.

An upper guide strip l2 and lower guide strip l3 are provided, these strips being horizontal and respectively bordering the upper and lower margins of said opening ll]. Said strips are grooved so as slidably to support between them a reciprocatory shredding plate [4 having an operating handle l5 attached to it at one end. Said plate M has through it a multiplicity of shredding openings arranged in transverse rows l6 and I1, the holes of adjacent rows being staggered in relation to each other. Each hole of said rows I6 is provided with a knife edge portion I8, all of said knife edge portions of said rows being located at the same side of the various holes in relation to the direction in which the plate l4 reciprocates which, as shown in the drawing, is the side farthest from the handle I5. The holes of the intervening rows I! are provided with knife edges l9, oppositely directed to said knife edges H3.

The supporting means for objects being shredded is shown as comprising a sheet metal bracket 20 of angle iron shape in cross section, said bracket having a horizontal bed flange 2|, a Vertical side flange 22, and at its front end a. downwardly directed flange 23 whereby it is attached to the back face of the mounting plate 1. Saidbracket also has, at its back end, a vertical end flange 24 which carries centrally a rearwardly projecting sleeve 25, a weld 26 being shown securing said sleeve to said flange. Where the sleeve abuts against it said flange 24 is provided with a circular aperture so that the sleeve and apertured part of the flange combine to support a slidable rod 21 which carries at its front end a follower plate 28 having a sharply roughenedfront sure-f face 29 abuttable against the object to be fed toward the shredding plate It, said follower plate being urged forwardly by a compression spring 30 coiled. around said rod, the back end of the spring abutting against said flange 2d. The outer end of the rod 21 carries a handle 3| usable manually to withdraw the follower preparatory to inserting objects to be shredded, and a stop collar 2'la which abuts the end of sleeve 25 in time to keep the follower plate 28 from contacting the knife edges 18 and it of the shredding plate.

The aforesaid vertical flange 22 of the bracket plate 2! assists in guidin the objects being shredded toward the shredding plate id,- and with the guiding side flange 22 cooperates the end flange 32 of an L-shaped adjust-able sheetmetal guide plate 83 having along the midwidth of its other limb a slot St to receive a screwthreaded pin 35,- which adjustebly attaches said guide; plate to the back face of the mounting plate 7; A winged nut 3% screws onto saidv pin to clamp the guide plate 33 in its adjusted pesitionafter the latter has been either reciprocated or swung about'the pin as a pivot.

The aforementioned members 22 and, 32 so guide the objects being fed to the shredding plate that they do not deviate horizontally from the path along which they should travel. To prevent said objects from upward displacement, a wire spring 3? (see Fig. 4) is provided one end of which forms a downwardly directed spur-'38 directable into the upper surface of the-objectbeing fed to the shredding means. Said spur is carried by a horizontal radially extending run 39 of said wire spring, a vertically extending run 40 being looped in between said run Stand the vertical inner run H of the spring, the latter run being secured to the mounting plate i by anysuitable means, shown as an apertured stub shaft 42 which extends through the mounting plate and projects forwardly thereof, wherev awinged clamping nut :33 is screwed onto it. Home itwill be seen that the wire spring 37 has a double loop intervening between its attached partand; its radial, spur-carrying arm 39. Accordingly said wire spring readily yields to allow its spur portion to travel along a straight path during the swinging movement of said arm or run 39.

In order to assist in releasably clamping the wire member 3'1 in various positions of vertical adjustment a washer or annular spacer 54 is placed around the stub shaft 42 behind the mounting plate I, so that, by screwing the winged clamping nut d3 down against the front side of said mounting plate the run of said wire is forcibly. held against said washer and thus safely held in the selected adjusted position. Preparatory to putting the device intooperation, if objects like potatoes are to be shredded the angular guide plate 33n1ay be adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 3 wherein its end flange 32 is directed toward such object; butif the potatoes are much smaller than the one shown the clamping member 35 may be adjusted to bring its unfianged end adjacent to the object being operated upon to aid in guiding it'toward theshredding plate. In case a much larger object, for example a head of cabbage, is to he shredded, said guard plate may, after its clamping screw 35 has been loosened, be clamped in place in a fully retracted position wherein it will unobstruct the entire delivery opening it.

The shredding plate it is reversible so as to bring its operating handle at either side of the mountingplate, 7, hence is conveniently usable.

both by right handed and left handed operators.

Owing to the fact that alternate rows of the holes it and H in the shredding plate M have oppositely directed cutting edges, said plate cuts both ways when it is reciprocated. This arrangement of the cutting edges equalizes the amount of manual force required to move the shredding plate back and forth and also lessens the tendency to lateral displacement of the object being shredded.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the kind described, a mounting plate having through it a delivery opening for out off portions of objects operated upon by the machine, guides carried by said plate adjacent to opposite sides of said opening; a reciprocatory shredding plate supported by and between said guides, said plate having through it a plurality of openings marginal portions of which are laterally deflected and sharpened,- thus forming cutting edges, a support connected with said mountin plate to support adjacent to said delivery opening objects while being'shredded; spring actuated means connected with said sup.- port and positioned to feed such objects toward said delivery opening asthe shredding operation proceeds, and a double looped wire spring comprising anupwardly extending wire run, a downwardly extending wire run, and a vertically extending wire run intervening between saidupwardly and downwardly extending wire runs,- said upwardly eXtending wire run constituting a mountingrun attached to said mountin plate so as to turn about'its axis,.Isaid downwardly dire'ctedfwire run having a radially extending provided with an angularly directed end portion forming a spur positioned to enetratean object being shredded thus to hold it against the aforesaid support, the looped formation'ofsaid wire spring allowing the swinging of said'radial arm when the object being shredded. isfed along a straight path toward the aforesaid delivery open 2. The subject matter of claim 1, and said wire spring being attached to said mounting plate at one side of said delivery opening,- and'a feed guide at the opposite side of 'said openingto cause objects being fed to" the shredding plate to move along a straight path in relation to their horizontal position, said feed guide comprising anangular guide plate havinga long limb furnished with a longitudinal slot, and a combined clamping and attaching means carried by said mounting plate and extending through said slot of said long limb of said angular guide plate, thus rendering said flange of the latter plate horizontally adjustable and also swingable to a remote position to the path of objects being fed to the shredding plate.

3. In a machine of the kind described,- fnount ing means provided with a'clelivery opening outoff portions of objects operated upon, guide means connected with said mounting means and positioned to compel objects fed to said opening to move along a straight path toward said opening in regard to their horizontal position, a double looped wire spring one terminal of which is connected with said mounting means and hav ing its other terminal provided with a radially extending run having a downwardly directed spur directable into upper surface portions of objects being fed toward said openingto hold them against upward displacement; the spurcarrying portion of said wire spring beinglfior izontally defleotable to avoideausing the fed objects to be horizontally deflected from their course, shredding means connected with said mounting means and positioned to shred progressively away objects fed through said opening, said double looped wire spring comprising three vertically extending parallel runs, said one terminal comprising one of said parallel runs, said double loop intervening between its attached part and its radial, spur-carrying arm, and means to releasably clam said one terminal in various positions of vertical adjustment to the face of said mounting plate toward which shreddable objects are fed so that said terminal spur is directable into the upper surface portions of such shreddable objects and the looped formation of said wire spring allows the horizontal deflection of the spur-carrying portion as aforesaid.

4. In a machine of the kind described, a mountin plate having through it a delivery opening for out off portions of objects operated upon by the machine, guides carried by said plate adjacent to opposite sides of said opening, a reciprocatory shredding plate supported by and between said guides, said plate having through it a plurality of openings marginal portions of which are laterally deflected and sharpened, thus forming cutting edges, supporting means connected with said plate and having a horizontal supporting surface along which objects to be shredded may travel toward said shredding plate, said supporting means carrying a vertical guide plate stationed at one side of the aforesaid delivery opening, an angular guide plate having a long limb furnished with a longitudinal slot and a guide flange carried by one end of said limb for positioning in an opposed horizontally spaced relation to the aforesaid vertical guide plate, and combined clamping and attaching means carried by said mounting plate and extending through said slot of said angular guide plate. thus rendering said flange of the latter plate horizontally adjustable and also swingable to a remote position to the path of objects being fed to the shredding plate so that large as well as small objects may be fed thereto.

5. In a machine of the kind described, a mounting plate having through it a delivery opening for out off portions of objects operated upon by the machine, a reciprocatory shredding plate carried by said mounting plate in a parallel adjacent relation to said delivery opening, supporting means connected with said mounting plate and having a horizontal supporting surface along which objects to be shredded may travel toward said shredding plate, said supporting means comprising a sheet metal part carrying an end flange in a parallel spaced relation to said mounting plate, an open ended sleeve projecting from that face of said end flange which is farthest from said mounting plate, a manually slidable rod extending through said sleeve and through an opening for it in said end flange, a follower plate carried by said rod, a compression spring coiled around said rod and tending to move said follower plate toward said delivery opening, a stop collar carried by said rod and positioned to arrest the movement of said follower plate before it engages said shredding plate, said supporting means carrying a vertical guide plate stationed at one side of the aforesaid delivery opening, an angular guide plate having a, long limb furnished with a longitudinal slot and a guide flange carried by one end of said limb for positioning in an 999- 3 horizontally lected adjusted position.

spaced relation to the aforesaid vertical guide plate, and combined clamping and attaching means carried by said mounting plate and extending through said slot of said angular guide plate, thus rendering said flange of the latter plate horizontally adjustable and also swingable to a remote position to the path of objects being fed to the shredding plate so that large as Well as small objects may be fed thereto.

6. The subject matter of claim 5, and said sleeve constituting the sole bearing for said rod.

'7. In a machine of the kind described, mounting means provided with a delivery opening for cut-off portions of objects operated upon a spring-pressed follower to feed such objects to said opening, a reciprocatory shredding plate carried by said mounting means in a position to shred objects as they are fed through said opening, said plate having through it a plurality of openings, a part of the marginal portion of the plate around each of said openings .being deflected and sharpened thus forming a cutter, said openings extending in rows that extend transversely to the direction of reciprocation of said plate, said deflected edge portions of said openings being deflected toward the same face of the plate and the cutters of alternate rows being directed toward opposite ends of said plate, supporting means connected with said plate and having a horizontal supporting surface along which objects shredded may travel toward said shredding plate, and a looped wire spring comprising a plurality of vertically extending, parallel wire runs, one of said runs constituting a mounting run which is attached to said mounting plate so as to turn about its axis, another of said parallel wire runs having a radially extending run provided with an angularly directed end portion forming a spur positioned to penetrate an object being shredded thus to hold it against the aforesaid support, the looped portion of said wire spring allowing the swinging of said radial arm when the object being shredded is fed along a straight path toward the aforesaid delivery opening.

8. The subject matter of claim 3 and, the last recited means comprising an apertured stub shaft extending through said mounting plate and projecting forwardly thereof, and a clamping nut secured to said projecting portion of said shaft and forcibly holding said one terminal in the se- HERBERT HY SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 492,814 Laughlin Mar. 7, 1893 492,967 Patten Mar. 7, 1893 588,207 Williams Aug, 17, 1397 636,824 Markey Nov. 14, 1899 1,060,809 Beauregard May 6,1913 1,358,020 Rosinsky Nov. 9, 1920 1,834,717 Knapp Dec. 1, 1931 2,055,749 Miller Sept. 29, 1936 2,246,589 Hoe June 24, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 33,703 Austria July 25, 1908 843,374 France Mar. 27, 1939 

